People & Languages in South Africa

In South Africa there are 11 official languages spoken. English is the official language of business, politics, and the media. Most South Africans are multilingual and often mix languages together so you'll hear IsiZulu, for example, peppered with English or Afrikaans phrases. Afrikaans, which has similarities to Dutch, is the first language of Afrikaners (South Africans of Dutch descent) and you will see many road markings written in both English and Afrikaans

Besides the official languages, scores of others – African, European, Asian and more – are spoken in South Africa, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa. But english is widely spoken throughout most of South Africa save for some very rural areas. Municipal buildings & associated literature and ATMs offer the choice of all eleven languages, so don’t be surprised when you are asked for your language before your PIN number!